Valve for inflatable articles



INVENTOR. L USM/TH..

A JM@ H06@ @01. `BY

\ Feb. 25, 1941. H. GoLnsMrrl-l VALVE FOR INFLATABLE? yAR'IICLJES Filed July 27, 19:59

l Patented' Feb'. ,25, 1941 i N UNITEDQSTATE sv PATENT OFFICE VALVE FOR INFLATABLE `ARTICLES Hugo Goldsmith, Cincinnati,l Ohio, assignor to Sport Products, Incg, Cincinnati, hio. a corporation of Ohio A 1 l Applicaties July 27; 1939, serial N6. 286,611.

` V:i Claims.

This invention relates toy valves for inflatable articles and `particularly to rubber valves for use in combination with inflatable game ball bladders.

In the art there 'has been considerable development in the use of rubber valves with inflatable `game balls. Thetheoretical possibilities of rub-l ber valve constructions are limitless but the practical 'determination of the value of the valve must always be dependent on two things. The first is that the valveA must not leak. .The second is of the innaung needle so that 1n case' the infiating needle becomes dry, suflicientlubricant that the valve must be accessible for inflation l ',without the necessity of manipulation which has to be carried out with scientific accuracy. Many of the f valves which have been provided in the past are theoretically leakproof and theoreti-` cally may be manipulatedfor inflation without diflculty; but in fact to be serviceable in the production of playing balls in large quantities the valve's must beso 'constructed that slight inaccuracies in construction do not result in leakage in one out of a great number of balls.

A valve construction may be satisfactory for twenty-four out of twenty-live game balls, but if the twenty-fifth ball leaks that is sumcient to throw out that type of construction as a practical valve for such article. i I It'is the object of my invention to provide a valve construction which will be simple to assemble, simple to manipulate during inflation and which will be leakproof to a-high degree of accuracy.

will be supplied from the wellto lubricate'the. needle during its passage to the'slitl which forms the air seal.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a valve whereina plug having an in` ating passage is mounted within `a hollow stem and in which the inner end of the plug has a stub extending from it `which is tensioned by the constriction of the walls of the stem to hold the stub in vposition to enclose the inflating slit.

The above objects and other objects to which..

reference will be made in the ensuing description I accomplish by thatcertain combination and arrangement of parts of which I have -shown a preferred modiiication.

Referring to the drawing: Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the hollow stem showing the flange for attachment to the bladder.

Fig. 2 is` aside elevation of the plug.

'Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the plug shown in Fig. 2.

It is another object oi my invention to proy vide `a valve which will be susceptible of inflation by a needle.,v end which will be provided with means for storing within the confines of the valve suiiicient lubricant to permit the use f of an iniiating needle which does not carry any lubricant on it. s

' It is an object of. my invention to provide a casing for a valve inflating `needle which will automatically lubricate the shaft of 'the needle during withdrawal of the needle for use. There has in the past been some development in the provision of rubber valves having lubricant nwells which are to be filled with lubricant and which automatically lubrica-te an inflating pass;`

ing. through the 'well.- It has been my experience that the use of valves having wellsiilled with lubricant permit the flow of lubricant out through the valve passage so that it smears up the outer surface of the ball and renders it greasy. In

` contrast to this it isv theiobject loi my' invention to provide a well designed only to pick up a minimum supply oi lubricant from the outer wall Fig. 4 is al perspective view with parts in section showing the construction oi.' the assembly,

Fig. 5 is a view as shown in Fig. 4 showing the position of the parts during` inflation.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a receiver for con-4 taining lubrication for the inating needle. M

Referring first to Fig. l, the stem of the valve l is composed lof elastic material of substantial mass, and there is integrally yformed therewith a flange 2 which is used .for adhesive attachment to the bladder or other inflatable article. A recess 3 extends down `from the flange side of the recess a cylindrical passage l of reduced diameter extends down to the end of the stem.

The plug which fits" within `the stem has an extension 5, an annular flange `6V which seats within the recess 3, and an inwardly extending portion 'Iwhich is slitted to provide a passage y the .portion -1 of the plug is restricted-by the walls for the inflating` needle. The stub 8 extends 35 stem as indicated and from the bottom of the of the stem I and that the stub 8 is bent over so that it is in the position indicated at I2 -whereby the slit emerges and there is a compression tending to seal the slit. The plug portion 1 being ofga larger diameter than hole I, is forced into position by means of an expansion tool that has been devised to slip into hole 8.

Refer-ring to Fig. 5, it will be observed that when an inilating needle such as is indicated at I8 is extended through the slit, the stub 8 is bent back permitting the slit/ to open. It is during such position of the inflating needle that in- 4 ilation of the bladder is accomplished. With the removal of the needle the stub 8 springs back to the position indicated in Fig. 4 which seals the slit extending through the stem.

In Fig. 6 I have indicated a container for the inilating needle. This comprises a shell I4 Packed with wick-like material, which is saturated with lubricant. The inilating needle I3 .fits in a hole down through the wicking which acts as a seat to hold the stem when the stem is not in use. The stem is of the usual type having a threaded end I6 which may be screwed to the tube of a pump.

The operation of the assembly illustrated and described will be obvious. When it is desired to inflate the article by means of the valve, the stem I3 is screwed onto a pump. The stem will carry on its outer walls a thin coating of lubricant which it has picked up from the wicking material.

As the stem of the inating needle is inserted through the plug a thin coating of lubricant will be retained within the lubricant well in the plug. The lubricant facilitates the movement of the needle through the slit II without likelihood of tearing the rubber.

As soon as the article is inflated the iniiating needle is withdrawn and replaced in its container. If the inflating needle is not removed from the pump tube and the lubricant on the outer walls of the needle becomes wiped 01T sum'- cient lubricant will be picked up from the well I 8 to provide adequate lubrication for a number of inilatlng insertions.

I have illustrated a simple form of valve which` in use has been found to be substantially foolproof. Repeated usages show that the valve remains leakproof and the lubricant is just about enough to lubricate the infiating needle without causing sufficient lubricant to be presentto make leakage likely or the overflowing of the lubricant onto the outer surface of the article.

In `the claims which follow it should be understood that my main invention lies in the novel.

features of the valve construction per se whether or not a lubricating well, such as is indicated at I8, is encased within the plug. I have not shown a drawing of a valve without the lubricating well, but it should be understood that, if no` portion, the recess of which extends into said stem from parallel alignment with thel attaching surface of said flange, and having a cylindrical opening of reduced diameter extending from the bottom of said recessed portion to the inner end of the stem, a plug of elastic material having a flange seated within said recess, said plug having an inilating needle receiving passage extending from the outer end of the plug and terminating in a well located substantially at the center'of the flangedA portion of the plug, and a slit extending from said well through the plug, said slitted portion of the plug being constricted by the elasticity of said-stem, and said plug having a semi-cylindrical stub extending beyond the inner end of'said stem and also having the remainder of said plug cut off short of the inner end of said stem, whereby the stub is normally bent over by the constriction of the stem to seal the end of said slitted portion.

2. A valve for an inflatable article comprising a' stem of elastic material of substantial mass provided with a flanged portion for attachment to an inflatable article, and having a recessed portion, the recess of which extends into said stem from parallel alignment with the attaching surface of.said flange, and having a cylindrical opening of reduced diameter extending from the bottom of said recessed portion to the inner end of the stem, a plug of elastic material having a flange seated within said recess, said plug having an inilating needle receiving passage extending from the outer end of the plug and terminating in a well located substantially at the center of the flanged portion of the plug, and a slit extending from said well through the plug, said slitted portion of the plug being constricted by the elasticity of said stem, and said plug having a semi-cylindrical stub extending beyond the inner end of said stem and also having the remainder of said yplug cut off short of the inner end of said stem, whereby the stub is normally bent over by the constriction of the stem to seal the end of said slitted portion, and said` well comprising two substantially spherical concavities for an inner connecting passage.

3.4 A valve for aninflatable article comprising a stem of elastic material of substantial mass provided with a flanged portion for attachment to an inflatable article, and-having a recessed portion, the recess of which extends into said stem from parallel alignment with the attaching surface of said flange, and having a cylindrical opening of reduced diameter extending from the bottom of said recessed portion to the extending from the outer end of the plug and f terminating in'a well located substantially at the center ofthe flanged portion of the plug. and a slit extending from said well through the plug, said slitted portion of the plug being constricted by the elasticity of said stern, and said plug having'a semi-cylindrical stub extending beyond the inner4 end of said stem and also having the remainder of said plug cut oiI short of the inner end of said stem, wherebyv the stub is normally bent over by the constriction of the stem to seal the end of said slitted portion, and said well comprising two substantially spherical concavities for an inner connecting passage, said well being adapted to receive a coating of lubricant and to retain the same during insertion of an lnflating needle through said receiving passage and slit.

HUGO GOLDSMITH. 

